The Illinois Territory’s northern boundary originally ended at the southernmost point of Lake Michigan, leaving it with no port on the Great Lakes, and, crucially, no access to the proposed Erie Canal. Congress shifted the border north, taking land from Wisconsin, and giving Chicago to Illinois.

Nevada became a state long before it was eligible in order to boost Abraham Lincoln’s reelection chances. To give the desert state access to the Colorado River, Congress took land from Arizona and awarded it to Nevada.

Culture, economics and geography separated western Virginia from then rest of the state. The Civil War drove the final wedge between east and west, with the western counties voting to stay in the Union. West Virginia split off from Virginia, and the Union added the eastern panhandle to guarantee access for a vital railroad.

In this American History video, brought to you by the History Channel, actor Anthony Clark talks about his home state of Virginia. He says that the state slogan "Virginia is for lovers" is true and that he absolutely loves the food.

Florida was once Spanish and much larger. Its panhandle stretched from the Savannah River to the Mississippi, but, over time, the Spanish relinquished land and the entire area came under American control.